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Medical History and Physical Exam for Dementia or Alzheimer's Disease

Topic Overview

A person's medical history and a physical exam are important parts of the evaluation
when the person has symptoms of
dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

Medical history

The doctor will ask questions during a medical history to assess a person's past and current overall health and to find out how well the person functions.

This process may be complicated if the person isn't able to remember important parts of his or her medical history or isn't aware of the memory loss. A family member can be very helpful in providing information about
the person's symptoms, such as when the symptoms were first noticed, how
quickly they developed, and whether they have continued to get worse.

Other important information in a
medical history includes:

Other medical problems the person has or has had, such
as a stroke, Parkinson's disease, HIV infection, depression, a head injury, heart
disease, or lipid disorders (problems with cholesterol
levels). In some cases, illnesses can cause confusion or other signs of dementia.

Whether there is a history of Alzheimer's disease or
dementia in the family.

The person's family, social, cultural, and
educational background, as well as any recent unusual events in the person's
life. These things can influence how a person performs on a mental status
test. And some experts believe that they may affect the risk of
dementia.

What medicines the person is taking. Some medicines
can contribute to memory loss or mental impairment. This side effect of certain
drugs is an easy problem to correct but is often overlooked as the cause of
symptoms.

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How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.